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5 Things You Must Know About Montana Shakespeare In The Parks' Monumental 2025 Season

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For over half a century, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (MSIP) has been a cultural cornerstone, bringing world-class, free professional theater to the vast, often underserved, rural landscapes of the Northern Rockies. As of late December 2025, the organization is celebrating the successful completion of its fall educational tour and is gearing up for what promises to be a monumental 53rd Summer Tour, solidifying its role as a premier cultural institution in the region.

The core mission remains clear: to engage and enrich both rural and underserved communities with professional productions of William Shakespeare’s immortal stories. This unique traveling troupe, based out of Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, covers thousands of miles each year, transforming local parks, high school lawns, and town squares into Elizabethan stages for audiences who might otherwise never experience live professional theater.

The Artistic Vision: Biography of Executive Artistic Director Kevin Asselin

The continued success and artistic direction of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks are guided by Executive Artistic Director, Kevin Asselin. His leadership has been crucial in maintaining the company’s high professional standards while expanding its outreach and educational footprint.

  • Full Name: Kevin Asselin
  • Current Role: Executive Artistic Director of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (MSIP)
  • Education: Asselin holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Acting from the University of Illinois.
  • Key Contribution: He directs one of the two mainstage productions each summer, often taking on a major historical play. For the 2025 season, he is the Director of the epic production of *Henry V*.
  • Legacy: Asselin continues the tradition established by previous leaders, such as retired Artistic Director Joel Jahnke, ensuring that MSIP’s mission to serve rural audiences remains paramount.

Unveiling the 53rd Season: The 2025 Summer Tour Plays

The 2025 Summer Tour, marking the 53rd season for MSIP, is set to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. The company will present two contrasting, yet equally compelling, works from Shakespeare’s canon, offering a full spectrum of dramatic experience from historical epic to pastoral comedy.

1. The Epic History: *Henry V*

Directed by Kevin Asselin, *Henry V* is a powerful historical drama that tells the story of King Henry V of England and the events leading up to and following the Battle of Agincourt. This play is a demanding piece, exploring themes of leadership, war, and national identity. Its inclusion in the 2025 season ensures audiences will be treated to a grand, sweeping theatrical experience.

2. The Romantic Comedy: *As You Like It*

The second production is the beloved pastoral comedy, *As You Like It*, directed by Eva Breneman. This play is a perfect fit for the open-air venues of the parks tour, as it is largely set in the magical and transformative Forest of Arden. The play explores themes of love, nature, and disguise, featuring one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches, "All the world's a stage." This marks the first time MSIP has performed *As You Like It* on its summer tour since 2014, and it is its sixth time overall.

A Glimpse at the Groundbreaking 2025 Tour Schedule and Locations

True to its mission, the 2025 tour will span an enormous geographical area, reaching dozens of communities across Montana, Wyoming, and potentially even North Dakota and Idaho. The full schedule, released in late 2024, highlights the company's commitment to access, with every performance being free to the public.

The tour is a logistical marvel, with a dedicated troupe of professional actors and technical staff traveling over 7,000 miles in a single summer season. Key locations already confirmed for the 2025 Summer Tour include:

  • Bozeman, MT: The season kicks off with performances of *As You Like It* at the iconic MSU Duck Pond, scheduled for June 11-14, 2025, and *Henry V* from June 18-21, 2025.
  • Dillon, MT: A performance of *As You Like It* is slated for Friday, August 1, 2025, at the Legacy Plaza on the University of Montana Western (UM Western) campus.
  • Sheridan, WY: The company continues its partnership with organizations like the WYO Theater, bringing the free performance of *As You Like It* to Wyoming audiences as well.

This extensive travel schedule underscores the company’s dedication to bringing professional, high-quality theater to places where it is a rare and highly anticipated event, making Shakespeare not a relic of the past, but a vibrant, living art form.

More Than Just a Summer Tour: MSIP’s Educational Impact

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is not solely a summer attraction; its impact on the region is year-round through robust educational programming. The organization operates a collection of three key programs designed to introduce Shakespeare and the theatrical arts to students of all ages.

Montana Shakespeare in the Schools (MSIS)

This program is a dedicated outreach effort during the school year. The MSIP team visits approximately 110 schools across Montana and Wyoming, targeting grades K-12. The program provides a full day of enrichment, including workshops, master classes, and performances tailored for educational settings. Performances for the 2025 school year were already underway in December, reaching schools like Capital High School and UM Western.

Montana Shakes!

A specific component of the educational outreach, "Montana Shakes!" features a 45-minute, highly accessible performance of a Shakespeare play, followed by a Q&A session. This format is designed to make the language and themes of the Bard understandable and engaging for younger students, giving them an early appreciation for classic literature and the performing arts.

The Enduring Legacy of Free Professional Theater

The model of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is unique because it is entirely free to the audience. This commitment to accessibility is central to its mission. By removing the financial barrier, MSIP ensures that the power of theater is available to everyone, from cattle ranchers in remote towns to families in larger cities.

The organization relies heavily on grants, sponsorships (including from MSU and the Montana Arts Council), and private donations to cover the immense costs of a professional touring company. The impact is immeasurable: it fosters a love for literature, supports a vibrant community of professional artists, and enriches the cultural life of communities that are often overlooked by major arts organizations. The 53rd season is a testament to the enduring power of this vision, continuing to usher Shakespeare’s immortal stories of life, love, and tragedy into a modern era for a new generation of theater lovers.

5 Things You Must Know About Montana Shakespeare in the Parks' Monumental 2025 Season
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